That is the second Priit Mihkelson seminar I’ve attended, the primary being on again defence up at Chris Paines’ gymnasium in Stafford. This newest one was on guard taking part in at Blue Canine Jiujitsu in Yeovil a very nice gymnasium in deepest darkest Somerset. Like final time, this was an enormous 8-hour seminar break up over 2 days. Priit defined that that is how he likes to current his work, in order that there’s loads of time to drill and observe to actually let the teachings sink in. It’s a really totally different method to just about each different BJJ seminar trainer on the market, most of whom prefer to get their message throughout in a single 2 or 3 hour block. I solely attended the primary day this time as a result of I’ve different commitments in my life, and albeit, 2 days looks like an excessive amount of! However, that made me the exception right here – just about everyone else within the room was going to return for day 2. So, I suppose most individuals are extra obsessive about Jiujitsu than me, or they in all probability simply lived lots nearer!

Priit has all kinds of heretical views on the issues with the way in which BJJ is mostly taught, and may speak about any of those facets at size. In reality, I interviewed him on my podcast final yr and you will get a flavour of his views on BJJ there:

Apparently, the Sideways Open Guard seminar began in precisely the identical manner as final time – an preliminary intro by Priit to his method to BJJ, then an illustration of a selected posture, a proof of key particulars after which he requested you to observe it solo for a bit 2 minute burst, then you definately regroup and he goes additional into the main points, and we repeat.

The small print are deceptively easy:

Sideways open guard is like an extension of Priit’s “Grilled Rooster” guard – the unique Grilled Rooster was a supine guard – mendacity in your again ready that resembles a rotisserie hen. Sideways Open Guard is (shock, shock) mendacity in your aspect. The essential particulars are:

1) Up in your elbow – not flat in your shoulder, or propped up in your hand.
2) The highest leg is vital – the angle (45 levels) must be excellent and the toes should level upwards, so there’s a slight twisting within the calf/shin. We did a whole lot of experimenting with this angle and why it’s essential.
3) The underside leg is your jab in boxing – so you may transfer it the place it is advisable to.
4) Fixed ahead stress – you ought to be at all times shifting ahead on this guard, pressuring the passer.
5) Hold the opponent in the suitable phase.

Sideways Open Guard. Photograph: Roger Karel – Blue Canine Jiu-Jjitsu (c) 2023

However ‘easy to elucidate’ doesn’t essentially imply straightforward. Because the seminar progressed it step by step grew to become a 2-person drilling place with an attacker and a defender, increase via numerous repetitious drills of “adaptive resistance” to get nearer and nearer to what most individuals would name “particular sparring”. It grew to become very obvious alongside the way in which that there have been loads of errors you may make whereas attempting to carry even a easy set of postural rules when beneath stress, and Priit’s repetitious drills have been designed to show them.

We’d do one thing, get suggestions from our companion, then do it once more, briefly 2 minute bursts, with new facets being added in often by Priit – defence to a leg drag, defence to a toreando, defence to an over/beneath cross, and so on… Priit’s method to educating may be very totally different to most BJJ coaches. He does stroll round providing recommendation, however actually he desires you to be given the data, then work it out in observe on the mat with as little assist from him as doable. The purpose is that your drilling companion provides you suggestions on the place issues are going unsuitable, so you may right them. You drill, have a chat about it (get suggestions), then drill once more. I used to be fortunately sufficient to get paired up with a great companion (shout out to Mark!) who was skillful, considerate and clever.

Possibly it was simply me, however I discovered the educating technique a bit complicated and tough at instances – typically we have been allowed to speak, typically not, and typically we might cross guard, typically not. I discovered it irritating not fairly figuring out what the principles have been always. Additionally the expectation to present suggestions on positions that I wasn’t fully aware of myself was fairly tough. How do I give good suggestions on what my companion is doing “unsuitable” on one thing I’ve solely simply began studying myself, particularly whereas partaking in a ‘stay’ kind of observe? I discover that when doing Jiujitsu my mind is both in “flowing” mode when sparring, which doesn’t contain a lot thought, or in “pondering” mode which is normally once I’m sitting again and analysing a state of affairs. Having to do each directly I discovered arduous. Positive, I can determine it out over time, however brief 2 minute bursts don’t give me sufficient time to get my mind into that type of gear. I felt like we’d usually simply be entering into one thing attention-grabbing after which get known as again.

Priit is all about going into microscopic element on the superb factors that make one thing work. And most significantly, why these particulars matter. As a result of they do – the precise angle of a foot could make the distinction between a leg that feels inconceivable to maneuver, like attempting to push on an enormous tree trunk, to one thing that may get knocked over by a lightweight breeze. In a manner, this jogged my memory of the deal with posture you discover in martial arts like Tai Chi, quite than Jiujitsu, and I suppose meaning it’s additionally open to the identical criticisms that Tai Chi will get – that beneath stress these small particulars are too fiddly to be sensible. However then, Priit might display precisely what he was educating beneath stress, so theoretically it ought to be doable for others to do it too!

Sideways Open Guard is an attention-grabbing place as a result of it appears like a really open place the place a cross ought to be fairly straightforward to do, but it surely’s not. Priit requested the room to counsel passes to defend in opposition to and demonstrated how he might shut down virtually any assault. I urged a easy step over cross, which Priit then demonstrated the defence to effortlessly on me. I actually admire lecturers who take questions from the room like this and allow you to strive issues out on them with none ego.

Priit presents himself as a scientist of jiujitsu. His purpose is to show solely the optimum posture for every place, which he has labored out via testing, quite than his private model. His scientific method can seem a bit harsh in educating model at instances, and he typically doesn’t appear to have a lot endurance for individuals who preserve getting it unsuitable or who he perceives as coaching within the unsuitable manner. He desires you to decelerate, actually deal with the main points and get them proper, not blast via the drills with out pondering. This hopefully makes you turn out to be absolutely conscious of your individual blind spots, which is clearly fairly tough, as a result of they’re… your blind spots.

With the Sideways Open Guard, a whole lot of the time the reply to individuals getting too shut was to seize a leg and wrestle up, and Priit always used analogies with boxing and wrestling all through the seminar, evaluating the jiujitsu guard to the boxing guard, as an example. This connecting of jiujitsu again to the common rules of different fight sports activities, and away from the “if he does this, you counter with this” method of many different marital arts, can be a nice perception and actually helpful to the BJJ group.

After initially gaining recognition for his method to turtle and different defensive postures, it’s nice to see that Priit remains to be innovating on the planet of jiujitsu. I’m an enormous fan of his work, and it looks like he’s nonetheless engaged on his masterpiece. A Priit seminar is a uncommon likelihood to see the grasp at work, so I’d suggest them to anyone. He has a web based website too, Defensive BJJ, so you may observe his work even for those who can’t make it to a seminar. His free BJJ Globetrotters movies on YouTube are one other nice supply.

Total, this was one other nice seminar. I caught up with some Bristol buddies (shout out to Artemis BJJ ) and I’ve realized some fascinating particulars which can be going to alter my recreation for certain. I already performed a whole lot of sideways open guard, however now I do know the issues I had in my posture, I’ve acquired lots to work on. So, I’m unhappy to overlook Day 2 and no matter insights Priit was going to share there (I believe Z Guard, and even inverting have been on the desk), however within the spirit of Defensive BJJ, I’m not afraid to have a go at working it out for myself.

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